Days after breaking McGree record, future Grizzly passes McIntyre
Sam Henderson just keeps on jumping into the record books.
Four days after the Butte High senior broke the triple jump record at the prestigious Harry “Swede” Dahlberg Invitational, the future Montana Grizzly was at it again Tuesday at the Russ Pilcher Top 10 meet at Missoula County Stadium. (Results)
Henderson won the Pilcher triple jump title with a leap of 48 feet, 4 ¾ inches. In doing so, Henderson broke his own school record while eclipsing the meet record of 45-4 ¾, which was set by Butte Central star Tyler McIntire in 2001.
Friday at the Dahlberg in Butte, Henderson broke Marc McGree’s 28-year-old record with a jump of 48-0 ½. McGree, also a Butte Central star, jumped 47-0 to set the Dahlberg record in 1997.
Of course, Henderson is no stranger to invoking the names of great Butte athletes of the past. Last year at the Class AA State meet, Henderson jumped 47-2 ½ to set Butte High’s record. He passed Bulldog great Scott Hemmert, who jumped 47-1 in 1989, to take home the silver medal from the State meet.
Henderson already had the best triple jump in Montana this spring. He also shares the top mark in the state in the high jump. He and Corvallis’ Ledge Conner each cleared 6-5.
At the Top 10 meet, Henderson placed fourth by clearing 6-2.
Fellow Butte High senior Dylan “Bobby” Bache placed third in the long jump for the Bulldogs. Junior Camden Houchin ran to third in the 1,600.
Houchin finished the race with a personal-record time of 4 minutes, 29.53 seconds. That time qualified Houchin for the Class AA State meet, beating the qualifying time by .07.
Brett Polich placed fifth in the shotput Tuesday, launching it 49-6. Ryan Hanson took seventh in the long jump, and fellow junior Cohen Andrews placed ninth.
On the girls’ side, Butte High senior Brityn Stewart placed third in the javelin with a throw of 117-9. Eighth grader Saege Grey placed ninth in the 100-meter race.
The Dahlberg, which was held on the Charlie Merrifield Track inside the Gene Fogarty Complex, saw the top five teams all within six team points. Kalispell Glacier and Helena Capital tied for the win at 58. Gallatin took third at 56, while Helena High scored 55 and Kalispell Flathead scored 52.
Butte High placed eight with 30 points. (Results)
In addition to his record-setting performance in the triple jump, Henderson cleared 6-4 to win the high jump. He tied Keenan Morris of Billings Skyview, but won on jumps. Henderson placed fourth in the 110-meter hurdles.
Polich placed fourth in the shot put with a PR of 51-3, and Houchin placed fifth in the 1,600 and 10th in the 800. He posted PRs in both events. Of course, he broke his PR of 4:34.15 in the 1,600 on Tuesday.
Senior Sam Sampson placed seventh in the 200 for Butte High, and Andrews took seventh in the long jump.
Also for the Bulldogs, sophomore Jaeger Hansen took 13th in the javelin, placing just ahead of freshman teammate Sawyer Casey.
Butte High sent a small contingent of girls to the Optimist meet in Great Falls. (Results)
The highlight of that event came when the Bulldogs placed third in the 1,600-meter sprint medley relay. Senior Elli Quist and Autumn Clary each ran 200 meters, junior Franki Salusso ran 400, and freshman Evelyn Smith ran 800.
Stewart placed sixth in the javelin, and sophomore Cadence Graham finished 10th in the 300 hurdles. Senior Mylee Demarais took 11th in the shot put, and classmate Peyton Travert finished 11th in the pole vault.
Grey took 14th in the 100 and 19th in the 200.
Butte Central did not compete in the Dahlberg, or any meet, because it was Easter weekend.
Rangers halt BC winning streak
Butte Central’s three-game winning streak came to an end Tuesday with a 10-9 loss to Livingston at 3 Legends Stadium.
Central trailed 8-2, and the Maroons saw their rally fall just short.
Livingston did its damage on just five hits, and the Rangers took advantage of five walks and a hit batter. Ben Cipriani doubled and drove in two runs to lead the Ranger attack. Carter Anderson, Liam Edwards, Hansford Tewell and Carter Nelson hit singles in the win.
Catcher Beau McGree hit a pair of singles to lead BC, which poked seven singles in the win. The Maroons also took advantage of nine walks. Livingston pitchers hit four BC batters.
Gunnar O’Brien, Colt Hassler, Trapper Stajcar, Jack Nagle and Kelton Berger added singles for BC. O’Brien, Nagle and Kelton Keene each drove in runs.
The loss came five days after BC won its third straight game, beating Townsend 14-2 in Townsend.
O’Brien went 4 for 4 with four RBIs to lead BC’s 11-hit attack in the win. The shortstop’s day included three doubles. Trapper and Tony Stajcar each added a double and a single, and Hassler poked a pair of singles. Cohen Stajcar also singled in the win.
Hassler pitched the distance in the game called by the run rule after five innings. He struck out six, walked none and allowed just one earned run on four hits.
Central is back in action at 3 p.m. Thursday when the Maroons take on Butte High at 3 Legends Stadium. Butte High won the first matchup 19-3 April 7. Central, though, has appeared to find its mojo since then.
Falcons, Bears top Butte High
While Butte Central has gone 3-2 over its last five games, Butte High will head into the matchup with the Maroons trying to break out of a 1-4 slump.
That includes a pair of losses Saturday in Billings. Billings Skyview topped Butte High 11-1 before Billings West knocked off the Bulldogs 11-1.
Camden Wilson went 2 for 4 with a double, three RBIs and three runs scored to lead Skyview’s offensive. Roman Sloan went 3 for 3 with two doubles.
Connor Smith pitched five and two thirds innings, striking out nine and walking one for the win.
Butte High managed nine hits, but the Bulldogs didn’t o enough damage on those hits.
Second baseman Tocher Lee ripped a pair of doubles for the Bulldogs. Will Stepan and Matthew Donaldson each added a pair of singles.
Cayde Stajcar singled, scored twice and joined Donaldson with a pair of RBIs.
Butte High also got singles from Gunner Bushman and Tegan Duffy.
Billings West pitchers Cooper Cavanaugh and Sam Reinker combined to hold Butte High to one hit in the last afternoon game. That hit was a single by Bushman.
Lee and Brooks Vincent each worked a walk, and Stajcar drove in Lee for Butte’s lone run.
Chase Wise hit a triple and a single while driving in two to lead the Bears. Colton Bush doubled, and Kyren Ballard and Cavanagh joined Wise with TW RBIs.
Junior Jaxon Williamson took the loss on the mound for the Bulldogs, but he pitched much better than the score might show. In four innings, Williamson struck out six, walked two and gave up three hits. Only one of the four runs he surrendered were earned.
Wolfpack takes two Bulldogs
Kalispell Glacier swept a Western AA softball doubleheader with Butte High Tuesday in Kalispell. The Wolfpack won the opener 6-4 before completing the sweep with a 5-0 win.
The Bulldogs led 4-1 before the Wolfpack scored three in the fifth and two in the sixth for the win. Olivia Gibbons hit a pair of doubles to drive in two runs to lead the way. Olivia Warriner also knocked in two, and Khirsten Terrell hit three singles for Glacier.
Warriner pitched three and two thirds innings of relief to get the win.
Reese Johnson and Kendallyn Schad each hit a double and a single to lead the Bulldogs. Allie Becker also doubled, and Gracie Ferriter, Ashlinn Mullaney, Mattie Stepan and Ally Godbout added singles.
Mullaney pitched the distance in the loss.
Warriner and Ava Grady combined to shutout the Bulldogs in a second game in which Glacier scored four runs in the top of the third inning.
Kaydee Walcheck hit a double and a single to lead the Wolfpack offense.
Butte High didn’t score despite a nine-hit performance by the offense. Stepan hit two singles, and Mullaney doubled I the loss.
The Bulldogs also got hits from Johnson Ferriter, Becker, Godbout, Madisyn Swanson and Brea Henderson.
The doubleheader sweep came after the Bulldogs fell 10-6 at home Friday to Missoula Big Sky.
Logan Latriell hit a triple and two doubles to lead the Eagles in the win. Sadie McGuinn and Aubrey Bykari each hit a double and a single, while Kyler Latrielle, Irene Griswold, and Briella Wilson each hit two singles. Wilson pitched five innings for the win.
Mullaney homered and drove in three runs to lead the Bulldogs. Johnson doubled, and Stepan, Swanson and Godbourt each poked two singles. Jonart, who drove in two runs, and Schad also singled for Butte.
Butte High will be home Saturday to take on Kalispell Flathead in a Western AA twin bill at Stodden Park.
Butte Central’s softball team did not play since last Tuesday’s home game against Stevensville. The Maroons will play host to Dillon at 3 p.m. Wednesday at Stodden Park.
Dog tennis players show improvement in loss to Knights
Missoula Hellgate swept past the Butte High Bulldogs on the Stodden Park Tennis courts Tuesday afternoon.
The powerful Knights won 8-0 on the boys’ and girls’ sides, and all 16 matches ended in straight sets. Still, Butte High coach Shawndee Gratton said he saw much improvement as the Bulldogs took on what he called the No. 1 team in the state.
“It was a lot better than last year,” Gratton said.
Butte High also played in a Western AA tournament Saturday in Missoula. Results are not available from that tournament, but Gratton said Murphy Sullivan advanced to the championship match of her division and Matt Weldon placed third in his.
The Bulldogs are back in action Friday when they travel to Belgrade to meet the Panthers. Butte Central’s tennis teams went to Dillon on Tuesday. Results from that action was not submitted in time for this report.
Missoula Hellgate 8, Butte High 0
BOYS
Singles
Jack Currie Welch, Hellgate, def. Josh Shrader 6-1, 7-5
Leo Ma, Hellgate, def. Matthew Weldon 6-1, 6-0
Brendan Conie, Hellgate, def. Tashi Hanley 6-0, 6-1
Cohen Miller, Hellgate, def. Bryce Gratton 6-0, 6-0
Doubles
Sam Ender/Andrew Dumen, Hellgate, def. Cole Skeel/Jason Johns 6-0, 6-1
Oscar Hanford/Nicco Kujawa, Hellgate, def. Max Pearston/James Pearston 6-1, 6-0
Jonas Cheney.Gabe Hammitt, Hellgate, def. Dominic Snyder/Matthew Lockmer 6-0, 6-3
David Andrew/Eli Hammitt, Hellgate, def. Jaxon Jonart/Briggs Jospeh 6-2, 6-1
GIRLS
Singles
Elliotte Banziger, Hellgate, def. Rachel Law 6-0, 6-0
Anias Currey, Hellgate, def. Carliegh Donaldson 6-0, 6-1
Lucia Savcia, Hellgate, def. Murphy Sullivan 7-5, 6-1
Ella Stone, Hellgate, def. Allissa Pennock 6-0, 6-1
Doubles
Westley Banziger/Kendall Daller, Hellgate, def. Chloe Jewell/Sienna Bradley 6-1, 6-1
McKinna Massey/Aidie Terwillinger, Hellgate, def. Ayva Gerry/Hallie Vanderlinde 6-0, 6-1
Jane Lowder/Ellie Stackman, Hellgate, def. Aubbrie Allmendinger/Isabella Babb 6-0, 6-1
Prestley Clarke/Arianna Roberts, Hellgate, def. Rory Trafford/Makenzie Reed 6-1, 6-0
The ButteCast with Bill Foley 